if you’ve been to our websites (www.thereasonilove.com or www.thereasonismile.com), you’ve heard the awesomeness that is family force 5. when we released our new brand a few months back we decided we wanted something more than just our photos to depict what we were all about; we wanted music to be played as you browse, but didn’t really want the usual songs you would hear on a wedding photography site. we didn’t really need to sit down and think about it, we just needed ff5′s blessing to have their songs played. they approved. since then we’ve had huge interest from our blog stalkers, so this edition of “the reason we love…” belongs to ff5 because, well, they complete us. (and they make us laugh).
the guys are from atlanta, and it just so happens that they’re playing here on october 17th! not only do their songs make you want to get up and dance, but their live performances are so much fun that you’ll just have to go see it for yourself – there’s no possible way for us to explain it in words! we’ll be there – come party with us! follow this link to get your tix now – hurry before it sells out! until then, get to know the band through a little q+a with their guitarist, our friend derek, a.k.a. chap stique. (he’s 2nd from the left in the photo below). enjoy, and let us know if you’ll be at the show so we can dance with you!
the*reason : what’s the meaning behind your stage name?
Chap Stique : The Family Force 5 was created during a massive hip hop movement, and our roots are in the ATL. Every artist in town had an amazing name like Big Boi or Lil’ John, so FF5 decided to try out some gangsta names. Although “Nathan” and “Jacob” didn’t sound nearly as cool as Nelly and Andre 3000, “Nadaddy” and “Crouton” had a ghetto flavor that made the band seem much more legit.
When I joined the band, the guys asked me to create a gangsta name, so i chose Teen Wolf. After an extensive marketing meeting, our record label called and told me to pick a new alias because they didn’t want to get sued by Michael J. Fox. I opted for the name Lazer Show, but then the band discovered my unfortunate addiction to chapstick, and we realized it would be much more authentic to go by Chap Stique, seeing as though I’ve never cried during “Proud to be an American” at the Stone Mountain lazer show.
how do you have so much energy?
When I was in college, I couldn’t afford to buy a parking pass for the campus, so I walked several miles a day between River Club Apartments and my weather and climate class. Because of the tremendous weight of the Beljean packets in my backpack, I built up a lot of strength in my lumbar spine and in my calves, so I guess I’ve just never lost the results of that cardiovascular work.
(a little inside joke for UGA grads and students of ElGene Box)
what’s your favorite song to play live?
Party Foul! It’s funky, and I get to use some swirly delays on the main riff. It also has a guitar solo, so I sometimes slide on my knees while all the black-t-shirt-wearing dudes wiggle their fingers as a gesture of rock-and-roll approval.
what’s the coolest place you’ve been to on tour?
New Zealand. Before our show, we all got inside a giant, water-filled gerbil ball, and then they rolled us down the side of a mountain at a frightening speed. It was ridiculo and hilarious, and that night’s concert was magical. We also really enjoyed eating Tim Tams and watching Eagle vs. Shark.
Do you have a favorite photographer FF5 has worked with and/or a favorite photo of yourself?
Family Force 5 is an extremely visual band, and we’ve had the privilege of working with plenty of unbelievable photographers. Some of the most notable ones for us have been Michael Pisarri, Angela Morris, Michelle Star, Kristin Burns, Neil Visel, James Ellis, and plenty of others. (see photos on this post) *click to see his favorite photo taken by Roberto Chamorro*
do you take a lot of photos while traveling or in general?
No, we never take enough! The five of us usually grab pictures from fans on Facebook and MySpace, but we’ve recently realized that most of our amazing backstage memories have not been chronicled. Therefore, we’ve asked Tofu Pup (our merch girl) to do the honors of taking plenty of candids. If the band members have the camera, we always end up with about 80 pictures of ourselves arm-wrestling or doing something crappy.
describe each of the guys in 3 words or less.
Crouton: diva, danseur, Krystal
Fatty: Fabio, cellphone, Hall & Oates
Soul Glow Activatur: dice, hulk fists, blood-boil
Nadaddy: keytar, headband, ninja
Xanadu: afro, Farmville, Darren’s Dance Grooves
we chose to have ff5 blare from the speakers instead of an acoustic rock song like most other wedding photography sites. what are your thoughts on this?
That’s amazing, and it makes us feel pressured to record our version of “Endless Love” on the next record!
tell us a little bit about the atlanta show at center stage on 10/17 and what to expect.
Soul Glow will be punching people with silver-studded hilk fists. Nadaddy will be playing a 6-and-a-half foot tall, 800-pound drum machine. Crouton will be doing handstands on his drum kit. Fatty and I will be spinning guitars like Yngwie Malmsteen, and Xanadu will be doing the moonwalk the entire time. We also have some posh outfits and a few brand-new audio visual goodies to debut on the Dance Rawr Dance III Tour. It will be organized chaos!
how can fans-to-be access your music and more information?
more from chap stique :
We just released a sci-fi, Neverending-Story-influenced video for our song “Dance or Die,” on YouTube, ModLife, etc. Please make sure to watch it for a mere glimpse into our lives during the epic dance wars of Edwon. Also, please make sure to visit your local Target stores during this Halloween season to watch the animated short film of Skelanimals featuring our new song “Keep the Party Alive.” We worked hard on it!
Finally, heal the world and make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race!
See you on October 17th! (we know you wanna leave a comment, too.)
chris + allie
Have something you think we’ll love and want featured on our “the reason we love…” posts? email us at info@thereasonilove.com and let us know!
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